Hope for Youth Foundation Awards Scholarships

The Hope for Youth Foundation awarded five local high school students with scholarships this year at their recent scholarship luncheon held at the Hendrick Hudson Free Library in Montrose, NY. The 2019 recipients are graduates from Lakeland, Putnam Valley, Peekskill and Walter Panas High Schools. Panas had two scholarship winners. The Foundation established the scholarship program in 1998 for graduating seniors who demonstrated outstanding service to school and community.

Walter Panas High School Senior Hannah Sophia Soloway and Lakeland High School Senior Michael Gajdosik were awarded Hope for Youth Foundation Scholarships; Putnam Valley High School Senior Gavon Mitchell was awarded the Thomas J. Witt Memorial Scholarship; Peekskill High School Senior Angel Rodriquez received the La Marr Barnes Scholarship; Walter Panas High School Senior Nicholas Sevecke received the Bill Sherry Memorial Scholarship.

The scholarships are funded from the sales of Witt's Long Range Weather Calendar and other fundraising efforts conducted by the foundation and its board of directors.

Honored for their academic and civic accomplishments were:

Michael Gajdosik, Lakeland High School, Hope for Youth Foundation Scholarship

Michael Gajdosik has a love of all learning. He is especially passionate about math, science and debate. When Gajdosik is not studying, he is the guidance department’s go-to person to tutor other students in everything from chemistry and physics to reading comprehension. In the community, Gajdosik volunteers for Support Connection (a breast and Ovarian support group), ECAD (Educated Canines Assisting with Disabilities), and is the assistant basketball coach for the Shrub Oak Athletic Club. He plans to attend the Stevens Institute of Technology and envisions his future in physics research.

Angel Rodriquez, Peekskill High School, LaMarr Barnes Scholarship

Angel Rodriguez was selected as the first recipient of the LaMarr Barnes Scholarship. Rodriguez is a senior at Peekskill High School and a student at Northern Westchester BOCES where he studied construction electricity. He will be attending college in the fall and plans on majoring in business so that some day he can own and operate his own company. Rodriquez plans to keep working towards obtaining his electrician's license. The scholarship was presented to Rodriquez by Jenet Ferris and her husband in honor of Barnes, who was a talented carpenter.

Putnam Valley High School, Gavon Michel, The Thomas J. Witt Memorial Scholarship

Gavon Michel received the Thomas J. Witt Memorial Scholarship. “Compassionate,” “dynamic,” “thoughtful” and “kind” were descriptions used repeatedly in his letters of recommendation, but music is his passion. Michel plays the double bass, piano, and guitar and composes music. Moreover, he is a talented actor and baritone. He has performed with the Taconic Opera Conservatory Program, and played lead roles in high school musicals over the past four years. In the fall Gavon will be attending the Manhattan School of Music and will be on his way to achieving one of his goals of being a professional opera singer.

Walter Panas High School, Hannah Sophia Soloway, Hope for Youth Foundation Scholarship

Since the age of 10, Hannah Sophia Soloway, aka “Sophie” has attended Writopia Labs, where she learned about writing fantasy, fiction, plays, poetry and memoirs. She is a Worldwide Play Festival winner and has won numerous other awards for her writing. In addition, Soloway is a member of the Warrior’s Club at Panas, where she focuses on the importance of mental health on children and their families. She was officially recognized by Westchester County for Mental Health Advocacy and is a member of the United Nations/Interethnic Club and Let Our Girls Lead Club. She has accumulated over 130 hours of community service. She will be attending Mt. Holyoke and hopes to be an investigative journalist.

Walter Panas High School, Nicholas Sevecke, Bill Sherry Memorial Scholarship

Nicholas Sevecke was bullied in middle school and decided in high school that if he shared his story with his friends they could collectively begin to combat bullying at the peer level. Based on personal experience, Sevecke developed a program which teaches young children to understand what being different means. He served the Student Government, the Spirit Committee, and the yearbook club. He served as student representative to the Board of Education of Lakeland Central School District. Sevecke will be attending Binghamton University this fall and his plans to study biology and science. Ultimately, he wants to become a doctor. Sevecke received the Bill Sherry Memorial Scholarship, named for popular Lakeland educator Bill Sherry and presented by his wife Gail Sherry.

HFYF was founded in 1986 by WHUD Weatherman and former educator Jim Witt, who is noted for his annual long-range weather forecast calendars featuring photographs of the Hudson Valley. Witt has formulated a complex system that relies on historic weather patterns in order to predict what the weather will be like years, even decades, ahead. The precision of his forecasts over the past 40 years has made him a successful, charismatic and eerily accurate weather prophet. Witt is also a former high school science teacher.

Proceeds from the foundation's fundraising efforts go to help children with life-threatening illnesses and children with physical and mental challenges. In addition, the Hope for Youth Foundation gives scholarships to deserving graduating high school seniors. Recent beneficiaries have included more than 32 worthwhile regional children's organizations such as Make-A-Wish Foundation of the Hudson Valley, Gilda's Club, Camp Horizons Inc., Friends of Karen, Children's Hospital Fund at Westchester County Medical Center, and Hillside Food Outreach.

Learn more about Hope For Youth Foundation at www.hfyf.org.